FY2026: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and CTE Partnership Grant

Fund Code: 422C

Purpose:

The purpose of this competitive Career and Technical Education (CTE) and CTE Partnership Grant is to support regional and local partnerships to expand existing and/or develop new CTE programs and initiatives that increase student access to CTE opportunities, primarily through more effective use and integration of existing capacity and resources.

Applicants for this grant should be those planning for potential new CTE programming for School Year 2027-28.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to applicants that:

• Provide students access to CTE programming at career technical education districts serving Gateway Cities* where access to admittance into the regional career technical high school that serves that Gateway City is limited by oversubscription relative to capacity.
• Establish and implement program models and action plans that will increase student seats and access to Career Technical Education (CTE) training for jobs that are in demand and aligned with current labor market data.
• Demonstrate current and future active collaboration with secondary and postsecondary as well as industry and workforce development partners.
• Convene regional/local partners to expand existing and/or develop new CTE programs and initiatives that increase student access to CTE opportunities.
• Leverage the use of existing resources among the participating partners, to maximize capacity, impact, and sustainability.
• Serve traditionally underserved populations.
• Serve students in alternative education schools by increasing access through partnerships
• Provide students with a sequence of courses that will lead to technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, and/or an associate degree.
• Propose a concrete strategy for sustainability as an educational option for students upon conclusion of funding.
• Propose new or expanded partnerships.

This grant must be used to support the development and implementation of state designated pathway programs, including but not limited to:

• Development of scope and sequence for programs aligned to the Career Connected Learning Frameworks on the MA Career Connected Learning Hub
• The development of work-based learning using the MEFA Pathway tool
• Processes and resources for implementing MyCAP
• Development and training for processes and resources aligned to implementation of the Massachusetts Pathway Principles and other required program components.

Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.

* The Massachusetts Legislature defines 26 Gateway Cities in the Commonwealth: Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.

Eligibility:

Eligible applicants include Districts, Charters, or Collaboratives, including Alternative Education Schools with Districts, Charters, or Collaboratives.

If the applicant is applying for a CTE Partnership Program, please identify and indicate in the application which partner will serve as project lead for this initiative.

Funding Type:

State, 7035-0001

The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Funding:

Approximately $500,000 is available.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Eligible applicants may apply for funds for one (1) planning grant

Fund Use:

Planning funds may be used for:

• Stipends to support convening and planning of new programs
• Other costs that are negotiated with the Department.

Grantees may not use funds to supplant local resources.

Additional General Grant coding Guidance is available: CCTE Resource for Grants .

Grant funds must be used to plan programs/activities/initiatives that will increase student seats and student access to CTE pathways/programs, particularly for underserved populations, students in alternative education schools, and students residing in Gateway Cities where the regional technical high school serving that Gateway City is oversubscribed.

Project Duration:

FY26: Upon Approval – 6/30/2026
FY27 Upon Approval (No Earlier than 7/1/2026) – 8/31/2026

This RFP also governs a continuation round in FY2027 (July 1, 2026 – August 31, 2026). Grantees must submit new applications in late May/early June to access the funding to cover 7/1/2026 – 8/31/2026. Program staff will alert recipients as to when the application is available.

Program Unit:

College, Career, and Technical Education

Contact:

Marnie.A.Jain@mass.gov

Lisa.Weinstein@mass.gov

Date Due:

Friday February 13, 2026

Completed grant applications Proposals must be submitted to the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP. Review the Competitive Grant Policy for more detailed information.

All responses must be submitted through proper steps and received by the due date/time listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Additional Information:

Questions and Answers — Applicants may submit questions to CCTE@mass.gov by January 28. Questions will not be responded to directly. Instead, all received questions and answers will be posted in the "Questions and Answers" section of the Grant Application in GEM$.

Submission Instructions:

The FY26 422C Career and Technical Education (CTE) and CTE Partnership Grant will be submitted in our GEM$ system.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

New organizations that do not have an established LEA with DESE skip to Step 3.

Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.

All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Step 2: Submit the grant through all LEA steps in GEM$. There are three LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding:

• Grantwriter Submitted
• LEA Fiscal Representative Approved
• LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP. Please plan accordingly.

The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.

Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access. New organizations are entities that have not been established as an LEA in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization established in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.

Temporary Access will need to be created by DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.

Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.

Last Updated: February 2, 2026